Made in Chelsea, stolen in Clapham: Reality star related to King Charles has bike pinched despite using three locks worth £200; Pogačar and Žigart booed by tennis fans… for being late; No Paris-Roubaix chicane at Arenberg Forest + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
John Degenkolb to miss Paris-Roubaix after fracturing collarbone, elbow, and wrist, in Tour of Flanders crash
Team Picnic PostNL’s John Degenkolb will be forced to miss this Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix after the team confirmed that he’s suffered a fractured collarbone, elbow, and wrist after being caught in the big crash at the Tour of Flanders.
The Dutch team’s two other riders, Tim Naberman and Alex Edmondson, also sustained injuries as a result of the crash, a broken wrist for Naberman and a sprained ankle for Edmondson.
Team doctor Camiel Aldershof said in a press release: “John hit the ground with quite a lot of force in the crash, and the in-race medical team immediately suspected a fractured collarbone. He was transferred to the local race hospital where further checks and x-rays were conducted. Those then unfortunately confirmed that John indeed fractured his collarbone, alongside his wrist and elbow on the same side.
“He will undergo surgery on his wrist, before a period of recovery. Timelines can often change, but we expect him to be out of competition for two months.”
36-year-old Degenkolb, who won the 2015 edition of Paris-Roubaix, would only be missing the race for the second time in his career, having previously not raced the Hell of the North in 2016.
The German rider finished 11th last year, and the year before, was part of incredible drama on Carrefour de l’Arbre where he made contact with eventual winner Mathieu van der Poel, crashing out of contention.
“I yearn to have this much trust in myself”: Red Bull’s latest “blindfolded” stunt divides fans
Red Bull apparently gives you wings — and now it apparently it also gives you the ability to ride down a flight of stairs with a possibly deadly drop on the other side with a blindfold on too.
I’m obviously joking (please, no one drink a can of Red Bull and try this), but the energy drink-making company’s silly stunts and antics are really going to another level — and fans are as divided as I am.
On one hand, I’m questioning “But why?”, on the other, “Why not?”
“Arms made of strings”: UAE Team Emirates riders test their hoop skills and fail miserably, as fans suggest “stick to cycling”
The theme for today’s blog seems to a crossover of ball sports with cycling… and it’s not looking very good for team cycling.
First, Pogačar and Žigart arrived late to tennis; now some social media/PR intern seems to have had the idea of making riders try putting a ball in a hoop, and I’m not going to lie, it’s one hell of a tough watch.
With yesterday’s time trial stage of the Itzulia Basque Country starting at the Fernando Buesa basketball stadium in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Álava (don’t ask me why), UAE Team Emirates posted a video of their riders making use of the court.
And if you ever doubted why cross-training and hitting the gym on the odd days is important for you as a cyclist, this video makes a strong case for it, as the cyclists struggle to even get the balls anywhere close to the hoop from the three-point line, flopping some feet away embarrassingly.
“Yeah, this was harder to watch than I thought,” wrote Kevin, while Willy wrote: “More bricks than Paris-Roubaix.”
One person said: “Leg FTP 450… arm FTP 50”. Yet another person perhaps summed up your live blogger’s feelings: “Like needles to my eyes.”
But as someone pointed out: “I’d love to see the NBA players climb the Alps or race any bike race for that matter. Who cares, they’re bike riders!” And now, I’m stuck with the idea of LeBron (who has a stake in Canyon Bicycles) getting on his Aeroad and joining Pogačar for an “easy coffee ride”.
11-year-old boy died cycling home after bus driver "beeped and startled him" before collision — but coroner concludes driving in line with Highway Code
Winning classics and monuments? Nah... it’s just some KOM hunting
British Cycling investigating death of rider at London circuit race
> British Cycling investigating death of rider at London circuit race
“Make me an honorary member”: Former professional basketball player proposes quid pro quo to UAE Team Emirates — says he’ll give riders shooting lessons in exchange for lessons on how to ride in the peloton
If you thought watching UAE Team Emirates butcher a series of three-pointer shots was tough, just imagine what it was like for a basketball pro…
Well, Reggie Miller, former NBA star and Olympic gold medal winner, did see the excruciating clip — and has come up with a genius plan that could serve both parties.
After hanging up his basketball shoes, the NBA Hall of Fame player has spent quite a bit of time on two wheels, testing his riding skills in gravel and mountain biking. In fact, the 59-year-old has even taken part in XC, enduro, and gravel races, and is currently working hard on his road bike, even linking up with Tom Pidcock last year.
Miller shared the video in another Instagram post with the caption: “Hey Tadej Pogačar and UAE Team Emirates, I see a win-win scenario here. I become an honorary team member, and y’all teach me how to ride in the peloton, in exchange, I will give basketball shooting lessons. Because clearly we BOTH need each others help in the others’ field.”
No chicane for entry to Trouée d’Arenberg for Paris-Roubaix this time
After the controversial decision to install a chicane before the entry into the cobbled sections in the Forest of Arenberg in a bid to decrease the riders’ speeds and reduce chances of any potential crashes, the organisers have decided to get rid of it this year.
This is how the peloton will take the most feared part of the Hell of the North on Sunday.
Take a look at the new approach to the Trouée d’Arenberg 👀
Découvrez la nouvelle approche de la Trouée d’Arenberg 🔍#ParisRoubaix pic.twitter.com/dza8anM4te
— Paris-Roubaix (@parisroubaix) April 8, 2025
Cyclist raises over £4,000 after 18,000-mile charity ride, spending a year on the road
A Kent cyclist has just ticked over the one-year mark on an 18,000-mile round-the-world bike ride – raising more than £4,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital along the way.
Jacob Zintel-Warner, from Folkestone, set off from the hospital gates in London on 8 April 2024 and has so far pedalled over 12,000 miles (19,312 km) through 24 countries – with the finish line in sight for later this summer.
Currently en route to Sydney, Australia, Zintel-Warner is riding solo while on sabbatical from his job as a history teacher at Brockhill Park Performing Arts College near Hythe. He’s hoping to complete the journey by August and raise £10,000 in total.
Describing the challenge as “challenging” (fair enough), he says the toughest parts haven’t been what you’d expect.
“Some of the things I thought would be difficult weren’t necessarily as bad as I thought they would be – spending long days on the bike,” he told the BBC. “Things that I wasn’t prepared for I found a lot harder – the solitude at points and dealing with logistics when things go wrong with your bike.”
While he’s taken a few unavoidable flights to skip oceans and impassable borders, Zintel-Warner has otherwise kept the pedals turning.
The idea to raise money for Great Ormond Street came from personal experience in the classroom: “I chose to raise money for Great Ormond Street partly because back home I taught one student who often frequented the hospital for treatment,” he explained.
“It’s an amazing cause that really helps children live more of a comfortable life and gives them some really promising prospects in the future.”
He’s now pedalling across Australia with Sydney as his next milestone – and still has thousands more kilometres and several continents to cover before returning to where it all started in London.
You can donate to his charity ride here.
Caleb Ewan does it again! Ineos rider comes out on on top at Itzulia Basque stage two bunch sprint
Two bunch sprints, two convincing, powerful victories. It’s safe to say Caleb Ewan is enjoying life at Ineos Grenadiers, having won the first stage of Coppi e Bartali in a similar fashion last month as well.
📺 Itzulia Basque Country, Stage 2. Caleb Ewan’s first WT level 🏆 in more than 3 years. Last was on Stage 3 of 2022 Tirreno-Adriatico. #Itzuliapic.twitter.com/wRB72spvNI
— ammattipyöräily (@ammattipyoraily) April 8, 2025
With this win, the 30-year-old Australian has won his first WorldTour in over three years — his last victory at the highest level coming at the Tirreno-Adriatico in 2022.
“He can’t always be the fastest”: Tadej Pogačar and Urška Žigart go to Monte Carlo Masters… only to get a scolding from the umpire and boos from tennis fans for being late to take their seats
The fastest cyclist on earth, the GOAT of the modern era of sport, accompanied by the Slovenian road and time trial champion — but a reminder that you’ve got to respect the clock if you’re at a tennis court.
Tadej Pogačar after winning his second Tour of Flanders on Sunday and smoking the likes of Van der Poel, Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen on the Kwaremont cobbles, was back at his home in Monaco yesterday. He decided to unwind and relax after the riding the fastest-ever De Ronde by going to watch 23-year-old Chinese tennis player Yunchaokete Bu take on Italy’s world number 16 Lorenzo Musetti (sporting trimmed hair, if anyone’s confused) at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters.
> Tadej Pogačar shares Tour of Flanders destruction on Strava… and doesn’t get flagged this year
The world champion was accompanied by pro cyclist and his partner Urška Žigart. However, as the play was about to be resumed after a short stop, the duo were late in getting to their seats.
And if you ask any tennis (or snooker) fan, they’d tell you that’s where they screwed up… Disturbance in the crowd while play is going on is a strict no-no, as Pogačar and Žigart found out the hard way when the umpire was quick to fire away a stern telling off.
POGACAR tomou pito da arbitra do Master 1000 de Monte Carlo por chegar atrasado para ocupar seu assento. 😂 pic.twitter.com/gl0lOWQyrS
— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) April 8, 2025
“Please take your seats. We are waiting for you,” the umpire said through the microphone, followed by unceremonious boos and whistles from the rest of the audience before the pair eventually sat down, smiling awkwardly.
Some cheeky comments over from Instagram:
“Takes me ages to get down some steps the day after a big ride too. Tadej might be human after all!”
“Clearly, he needs to work on his descending skills.”
“Sorry but he couldn’t find a free place to lock his bike safely, we all know the bad guys that roam all around town.”
“He can’t always be the fastest!”
Monte-Carlo open tennis and two spectators show up mid-game. The umpire calls on the man to quickly take a seat so the player can serve while the crowd start whistling and booing at the interruption… he looks familiar
— the Inner Ring blog (@inrng.com) 7 April 2025 at 20:49
We hope he doesn’t bring this attitude to Paris-Roubaix on Sunday. With reports of rain about to make things trickier for the riders as they take on the terrifying pavé, he’d need to be at his best once again to win his first title at the Hell of the North.
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If you're not trying to escape from wild animals, what would be the advantage of putting a tent on top of a car, rather than setting up a similar tent on the ground? Seems rather unnecessary to me - even if the price was comparable, I would choose a ground-based version.
"you can’t pass a law saying it’s illegal not to have a speedometer if you’re going to go above the speed limit." I don't think this would be a good idea, nor even speed limits (and presumably mandatory speedometers everywhere) ... ... but is there any theoretical legal impediment to that? Or even simply enacting a law that cyclists are not permitted to ride faster on roads than the motor vehicle speed limit (or some other limit) and leaving it up to cyclists how they go about complying with that? (Not a lawyer not a legal theorist though...)
What has KE to do with it? If you are hit by a large object you don't absorb all its KE. Being hit by a car is no better than being hit by a bus at the same speed. What matters is how much acceleration you experience.
@Robert Hardy 20mph isn't as fast as you seem to think, this 57-year-old-not-that-fit rider can easily achieve it on the flat in still conditions and most averagely fit people can on a decent bike. The argument that it wouldn't be a problem to impose speed limits on cyclists because those who can achieve 20mph already have speedometers is an entirely specious one, firstly as I've said a huge number of people can achieve 20mph, not just Garmin-obsessed racers, and secondly you would have to make speedometers compulsory for everyone on a bike, you can't pass a law saying it's illegal not to have a speedometer if you're going to go above the speed limit. How many cycling incidents are caused by supposedly excessive speed? It wasn't a factor in this case, the cyclist would still have hit her if he'd been doing 15mph or even 10mph. Charlie Alliston was under the car speed limit. It's a non-issue and only of interest to those seeking yet another stick with which to beat cyclists.
(Usual reference to speed being the major issue as kinetic energy goes up with the square of velocity / much greater braking distances required etc)
@mdavidford steady on - an 80kg cyclist on a 20kg bike would only need to be doing a little over 89mph to have the same kinetic energy as a 2 ton car at 20mph. So same ballpark, really...
Yes, although it may be telling us as much about decision fixation as it is about the impact of such statements. By asking them about their plans before viewing the adverts, they primed those who said they would consider an SUV to ignore or rationalise away information that pointed against that decision. Ideally, they would have had additional cohorts that were not asked in advance and therefore not committed to a position, for comparison.
"in --substantial-- slight excess of a speed limit considered to offer reasonable safety to vulnerable road users *from two tonne metal boxes*." FTFY
I think we have forgotten that cars do way more damage and we still haven’t got a comprehensive-lasting solution to deal with dangerous drivers
8 thoughts on “Made in Chelsea, stolen in Clapham: Reality star related to King Charles has bike pinched despite using three locks worth £200; Pogačar and Žigart booed by tennis fans… for being late; No Paris-Roubaix chicane at Arenberg Forest + more on the live blog”
Ah, terrible luck, again, for
Ah, terrible luck, again, for Degenkolb. 🙁
It’s just shambolic train
It’s just shambolic train organisation from UAE there – any other team would have lined their riders out from the three point line, dropping their leader off to shoot from two feet away.
Olympic gold medallist would
Olympic gold medallist would remove name from cycle path if quarry plans go ahead
I’ve used that path a few times, it’s not great – slap some blue circle signs on a pavement type of thing.
“I put three locks on my
“I put three locks on my bike and I took the key out, and it’s been nicked…”
Why the need to mention taking the key out?
Does he not do so everytime or does he not expect everyone else knows to do that?
It would have been better to
It would have been better to buy 1 lock for £200 or rather 250 for a hiplock or litelok.
Maybe it is the latest ruse
Maybe it is the latest ruse for insurers to avoid payouts saying “You didn’t tell us that you took the key out of the lock so we’re refusing your claim etc.”
Pub bike wrote:
That wouldn’t be new, more than twenty years ago my insurers tried to avoid paying out on the theft of my motorcycle on the grounds that I couldn’t provide them with both keys to the lock (having lost the spare long before) and therefore the missing key must have been left in the lock and used by the thieves. Fortunately on the instructions of the police I had kept the pieces of the broken lock (which had been cut with an angle grinder) for fingerprinting (which they never actually did but there you go) so I was able to prove the theft had nothing to do with the missing key. They were so serious about trying to get out of it that they sent an assessor round to examine the broken lock!
Quote:
Such wise words from a head on such young shoulders.